PHANUEL
by SorMilla
Summary: Each of us going through a difficult period in their lives after losing a loved one. Some grieve, others are wondering whether they could prevent it. Other people decide to punish the offender. But if revenge is the best solution?
1. PROLOGUE

**A/N:** My beta – VampireEve. Thank you for your work

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Twilight. Original creations of this story, including, but not limited to characters, setting and plot, are copyright to me.

**Prologue**

The man felt that something was coming. Some of the particle of him knew that something will happen. For the past two weeks, every night, a strange force has compelled him to look out on the court. Although he might guess what could be behind the window, he still stood and stared into the darkness.

Night has never been his favorite part of a day, and certainly not when he was a little boy. He used to dream then that an apparition appeared in the doorway of his room and took him into the darkness. He used to wake up screaming, drenched in sweat and his aunt, who ran into his room and hugged him until he calmed down.

He has never thought that this dream will come back in his adult life, and certainly not expected that it will become a reality. With only one difference: the ghost didn't extend into the bedroom and didn't cross the threshold of the house. In general, it didn't kidnap him. It just had been. He has never known what she wanted. Maybe some relief would be aware of what was going in her mind? Perhaps he would be prepared for any event and could prevent it.

It was almost ten p.m.

He turned off the light. He would not unnecessarily disclose his presence. Was he a coward? Yes, he certainly was. Maybe when she'll see that no one is home, she will go earlier? Although that has never happened, he has always had a hope. Subconsciously he felt that she knows, she knows everything what happened in his life. It was scary. After a moment from the main street he saw the form approaching slowly to his house. Lanterns were casting a shadow for the low figure, twisting and extending it to gigantic proportions. He felt that his heart starts to beat faster. That was nonsense. He was a grown man and wasn't afraid of anything. Perhaps he felt anxious because of this entire scene?

"Damn!" he swore. He forgot to turn off the lights in the kitchen. He quickly ran to the switch and turned it off. It shouldn't be noticed, because the room was not visible from the street. He went back to the window in the living room. She was nowhere. Perhaps she had resigned? He turned to the kitchen and looked out the window. Under the influence of some incredible strength, despite the will and the growing fear, he tried to see through the window, what scared him so much. Huge forest looked like a dark, dense mass of trees. Incomprehensible fear pierced him to the bone. After a moment he was looking already at the figure emerging from behind the trunk. It was dark and only the faint moonlight allowed for seeing anything. Although he had not seen her face, he knew who it was.

She was standing there and looking at the house. She did it always at the same time. For two hours. Once she approached from the front, sometimes she stood on the edge of the woods behind the house, just like today. No matter if it was raining, she always came. Sometimes he could see her face, but this was not an endearing sight. She was no longer the same woman, whom he met two years ago. Her pale face, contrasting with tired eyes, offended the most, but the astute observer might have noticed bony figure under the baggy clothes. She lost much weight. After her seductive shape did not remain even a trace. Her hair was disheveled and it was difficult to discern its color. It was certainly darker than he remembered. Every time she came, she held onto a piece of paper. He could only guess what was on the card.

If he knew that, so it all turn out, he would have thought twice before...  
>This must stop! Of course he was not without fault, but for heaven's sake, it was madness!<p>

The sudden appearance of the car's headlights caught his attention, so he went into the living room to see how dark pick-up stopped on the opposite side of the street. He was confusingly similar to her car. He stood for a moment from running lights. The man noticed out of the corner of his eye that she was sneaking around the house. She stopped in front of the stairs and turned her head towards a window, at which he stood. Her face was contorted in grimace of sorrow that was clearly visible in the light of the lantern. He felt a shiver running through his body. She saw him. He was sure of it.

After a moment, she headed for the car. From this distance he could not see who was sitting behind the wheel. A woman stopped for a moment and looked at the house, then slowly climbed into the vehicle and drove off. She has never gone away so early, and nobody come to pick her too. That was the last time he saw her.

After three days, when he was leaving the house, he noticed the white envelope lying in the corner of the windshield wipers. He picked it up and noticed that there was no address or sender. He opened it and took out the white card. It was only one word. Only that one word has been written there, but its power made his legs stiffened. He slowly raised his morning paper, flipped a few pages until he found what he sought.

**23/06/2010**

_On the night of Sunday to Monday police found the body of 28-year-old woman. Details are not known. The police department makes an investigation to clarify whether outsiders participated in the event._

It was his ghost.

It was his sacrifice.

3


	2. CHAPTER I

**Disclaimer: I do not ow****n Twilight. I own everything else including my friend from Russia.**

**Special thanks to my beta reader****VampireEve aka ****Eileen-86**

**Chapter One**

_She entered the stairs slow__ly, holding on to railings. She stood before the large mahogany doors and went inside. She walked to the window and opened it wide. A new beautiful day just had started. __The sun was penetrating through the boughs of trees, which grew near the wall of the house and the birds were chirping on it.__ She turned to the left and the first thing that caught her eyes was the shower curtain, which was hanging loosely on a broken stick. I have to do something with it, she thought. I should call Sean._

_She looked at the curtain which had__ got a beautiful scarlet color. The floor gleamed red tiles and even the towel which was lying on the floor was blood red._

_Red._

_Red and white._

_How the hell did the white__ appear? There should not be the white at all! No, it is blood... it should not be here. I need to wash it. Where is some rag?_

_Between soiled cabinet and __radiator was hanging a white towel, so she quickly put it on the ground. The pure towel immediately absorbed red, and then__she suddenly noticed that a liquid pouring from the bath was brown__. It's too much! Blood! There is blood everywhere!_

Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!

In the distance she heard the alarm sound, but she ignored it sprawling with a simultaneous desire to smash it into small pieces. Nightmares were not alarming. She already accustomed to them and she could come back to a previous state, if only to dismissed the time of getting up.

Days merged together. Her consciousness ceased long time ago to pay attention to such trivial things as the passage of time. She was like a programmed machine.

She rose slowly from the bed and looked at the phone. On display were eight new messages and fifteen missed calls. Life flowed on. It should be that way. Probably everyone thought that she become crazy. Maybe it is depression? Or the collapse? Oh yes. Surely they had something to talk about. They could not know that the last few months she had work intensive at home. She thought and worked on everything in great detail...

She went to the bathroom to get a shower although she did not like this part of the house, because of the feeling of anxiety every time she had to exceed the threshold. She would never be admitted to this, but she knew she had a problem. She did not have to be a psychologist to know that sooner or later it would get her out of control. She had to remedy this so she gave into the hands of a specialist whom she did not trust right away. But he knew better. She had to cope with stress and overcome fear, putting it forehead. Half a year of therapy allowed her to admit he was right. She beat phobia. It's so obvious. She was such a strong woman. Always has been. It has always amazed all of her friends how easily she coped with difficult situations, not only professional, but also in life.

Standing beneath the shower, she tried to not think about the past, but focused on future events. Yes, she could safely begin. The time has come.

She turned off the water and tightly wrapped her body in towel. While returning to the room she went to the closet where the side of it flashed something. She turned to the form located in the mirror. She hasn't looked at the reflection for a long time. She was pale and had bruises under her eyes. With this she could do something. She left the towel on the ground and winced at the sight of her white, naked body. She lost much weight, but she still pleased men, there was no doubt. Her big blue eyes contrasting with the unnaturally dark luminaire were fascinating. However, not as much fascinating as her long, wavy and auburn hair. With its relatively frail, her body was a compelling sight, as if once was to topple under its weight. In the presence, a lot of men generally felt the desire to look after her as if there were a reason for doing such a thing. She laughed nonchalantly. Standing still for a moment, she was examining her reflection. Her body was covered with scars in some places. Some were bigger, others smaller. The few were virtually invisible from a distance. She glanced at the clock hanging on the wall. It was nearly eight. She could dress slowly. She had a lot of time.

She picked up the phone from the night cabinet to see that she has got five messages and five calls from Angela.

This girl never let her live. It was good to have someone close, who cared  
>of you as family, but in the long run it was tiring.<p>

Other calls were made from the reserved number. It was certainly Rosalie. She hasn't contacted with her for weeks so she had to finally call.

A sudden ringing phone meant that she jumped. It was the reserved number. She received it uncertainly.

"Hello?"

Warm female voice spoke up immediately.

"Object traced. Booth 167th. In the envelope you will find the key. Stay in touch."

"Wait a minute, what the en..." Continuous sound interrupted her in mid-sentence. Yes, it was Rose. She had got her own rules, but it was a slight exaggeration.

Woman read the remaining messages. Two were from the father and one from the boss. She ignored those of the parent and recreated from Ursula. The boss has never complained about her absence. She was a good worker and she drove her clients after all meant. This compensated for the temporary absence. Anyway, thanks to her, the company from a small, provincial hole smashed in the global market. Her knowledge extended far to Europe and to the east, where western literature has become very fashionable. She could quickly search for talented writers who wanted to stand out, and her publishing allowed it to them. Besides, thanks to the appearance and confidence she rapidly gained trust, even the old-timers. They did not only change the publishing houses, but, to the surprise of Ursula,  
>reduced the size of their profit from sales. This was all the more strange that in the previous outbuildings earned a fortune. But Ursula did not interfere and not ask any questions. For her, priority issue was the company's success.<p>

Female rallied scattered papers from a desk and put them into folders. From the lobby, she took the house keys and car keys. Sighing, she went out with a bang of slamming door. It will be a tough day, she thought. She began to walk down the stairs, when she remembered about the envelope.

She turned and looked at crate.

"No, it's impossible," it crossed her mind. She opened the lid and took out several envelopes. The phone bill, electricity, advertising and pure envelope with a small bulge.

Finally, she took the key from the tag and put the other envelopes in the bag, then climbed into the car and took off. She went  
>toward the bank, whose name was visible on the emblem key. It may well settle the matter now.<p>

Security Guard standing at the entrance to the building was watching her with interest. Her red dress nicely emphasized the waistline and a small bust its visibility. She was accustomed to looks of men, but not these. He wasn't looking at her with admiration. Rather with compassion. She looked tired. This had to change if the plan is going to work out.

She went to the bank and headed right toward the lockers. After a while, she found the phone number and using the key she opened the door. Inside were two large gray envelopes. She torn the seal from one of them and took out the stack, then quickly hid them in her purse and opened another. Inside were some pictures. One was made at the event, second showed the playground, the other probably came from the office. On each of them were different women. On the surface, photographs were not out of the ordinary. Only after a while you could see that the man accompanying all of the women was the same one. Rose has not been idle.

As she appeared in the publication, it did not escape her attention that in the room had fell sudden silence. Heads of all the collaborators were reversed in her direction. Bella drove scanning the assembled faces.

"Hello everyone. I see that you have a lot of work, so don't worry about me. You can continue", she said lightly.

Suzie and Joan drained their sight away. They knew it was not worth to expose. She was a potential shareholder in the company, and everyone was aware of this. She had the same power as Ursula. They could easily lose their jobs. Only Tanya and Jessica were looking proudly at her face, searching for some changes but they didn't know what looking for. Due all of the rumors they thought that she would look like unbalanced, emotionally unstable person. This one, who was standing in front of them, did not look at this, on the contrary, was an oasis of tranquility. She walked by their desks, staring intensely into the eyes of two workers.

When she walked into her office, Ursula sat sideways at her desk with her head propped in her hand and holding the handset. Her short red hair was sticking out in all directions. She did not look like forty three years old woman, who she exactly was.

"No, I do not know when she comes back. She said nothing." The tone of her voice indicated that the conversation ran long time. She was definitely annoyed.

"If she wanted, she would call you. Apparently she has some reasons to not doing it. Now excuse me, but..."

Someone on the other side had to interrupt her and Ursula didn't like it.

"It's not my business. Sorry, but I have to go back to work. Goodbye," she stated firmly and without waiting for an answer, she hung up.

"Don't you think you should be a little nicer?"

At the sound of voice of her favorite worker Ursula turned towards the door.

"What an appearance, Bella. I haven't thought that this day would come.  
>Overall, it's even better. I have a new job for you."<p>

She gave Bella the most sincere smile, which other workers were rarely able to experience. Bella reciprocated a smile.

"As always, you go straight to the heart. Don't you even ask me how am I?"

"I left you a message, and time is money. Especially, in the case of this client. I read his manuscript and it's brilliant. I had to look up to you, but while we're here..." She looked at her, pointing to a chair.

"Actually, I came only to leave the outstanding securities." She slowly walked to the desk top.

"I wanted to ask you about another month off." She started to pull out the documents from folders and suggested them to Ursula. She didn't even look at them.

"Isabella, if you think that another month will help you..." Her voice became rough, not-carrying the opposition. "That you're wrong. I know it is hard for you, but,  
>damn, you can't do that!<p>

"Ursula, this is not the reason why I want to take time off." She rolled her eyes.  
>"I have something to do and I do not know how much it will take me, so I gave you the approximate period of the month. It may be shorter." Bella knew that wasn't what the boss meant, but it did not intend to give her any explanation.<p>

Bella seemed also realized that Ursula was annoyed after having the phone call and did not know whether it has already used the daily limit of her patience. So she preferred not to drag the strings.

"Okay, as long as you do not collapse." Red-haired knew that it has never happened. She wanted to further emphasize her position in the publishing house. She was the owner and until position of shareholder wasn't resolved, she preferred not to give anyone impression that Bella is treated under special conditions. "But you have to take care of the customer, only then I will give you peace of mind." Ursula smiled to her and then got up from her desk. "Come on, let's get some coffee".

"I would love to". Caffeine would be very useful in her body.

Bella followed the boss to the kitchen which was located between their rooms.

"Your father called," Ursula said, pouring the espresso. "I know that you are not on good terms, but..." she sighed "...but he is your only family. You can not ignore him indefinitely."

Bella did not respond. It was a touchy subject and she did not want her to bring it up. She went to the machine, poured herself a dark drink and leaned against the cabinet.

"I don't ignore him," she began after a long time. "We just have different points of view and thus try to avoid unnecessary bickering. I sent him an email and assured that there is everything OK with me. I do not know what else he expects from me".

"Maybe a regular phone? From what I'd learned today, you haven't talked to him for three months. Don't you think it is long?" Ursula asked, raising her eyebrows significantly.

"Perhaps, but he brought this on himself. And now tell me more about this new client." She wanted to change the subject quickly, to which the boss just shook her head.

"At least call him once. It will save my nerves." After saying that, she turned and opened the door to her office.

She went to a comprehensive desk. Bella sat on the opposite side of the countertop and watched as Ursula was taking out a sheaf of papers from one of the yellow folders.

"His name is Sergei Ivanov, he is twenty-six years old and comes from St. Petersburg. So far he did not show too much interest in writing, but has had some traumatic experience that led him to it." Bella looked at her quizzically. "I do not know exactly what happened, but it is some terribly mysterious thing. I guess his girlfriend was killed in an accident. I think you could easily reach it. Anyway, after that he began to write down memories. The book is phenomenal. One of the largest publishing houses in Europe is interested in it. We need to get it first...

"Wait a minute," Bella interrupted her firmly before she would talk forever. "Which publishing house?"

Ursula answered reluctantly:

"C & W Publishing."

"It's crazy, we have no chance with them." Ursula knew that telling her this will be varied. But she did not expect one. "Well, when should I go?" She didn't think that Bella would not object.

"C & W has a meet with Ivanov in a week, this is our last chance. You have to go now. Whatever you were using until now, use it to make him agree to cooperate with us. As I said earlier, in this case, time is a particular currency. After a successful return we will organize a party. We will have a double celebration." She looked hesitantly at Bella. "If only you succeed, you are a shareholder  
>in publishing."<p>

Brunette expecting this sooner or later, but she pretend surprised.

"Really? Are you sure?"

"Perfectly." Ursula nodded, as if trying to convince herself. "Long time ago you had to be offered. You deserved it".

"Thank you, Ursula. I will try to get back soon with the contract," Bella said if it was already a successful transaction. It did not escape the boss's mind. "Where am I going?"

"To London."

"I thought that Ivanov lives in Russia?" Bella took a briefcase and put there papers that gave her red-haired. She noted that in the middle was something else. She pulled out a black and white photo. She was staring at the man's face for a long time...

"…you should not have any problems." Apparently Ursula was speaking all the time.

"Excuse me, could you repeat that?" Bella was clearly lost in thought.

"I did not get any information about where he lives. Apparently the address has changed. However I know that he has family there, so knowledge of where he lives shouldn't be a problem for you." Ursula sent her a broad smile.

Yes, there should be no problems. Especially since London was very convenient. She could arrange two things simultaneously.

She quickly said goodbye to a partner with the future, thinking only of this, as soon as possible to find an airplane flying toward her destiny. Everything depended on this trip. Its success will not only be fulfilled professionally. Her own life is finally going to return to normal. She was not afraid, at least so it seemed.

No, it was a lie. She was afraid to stay face to face with devastating force.  
>With the power that destroyed what she had loved the most. It was a lot of hatred, but also a fear about herself. That she will have to sacrifice herself in the name of the dearest person.<p>

8


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